There were no walls, no floor, no…nothing; just the echoing name of my father, my real father ringing over and over in my ears. The constant ringing of doorbell swirled around in the viciousness of it all, but how could I move when I couldn’t even breathe?  When my bones were ice and my chest, frozen?

Xanthus?

Tom, the only father figure I ever really knew, and that is using the term very lightly; he was saying something but I couldn’t understand over the shock; over the muffled heart beats tinkling like a broken music box in my head.  He motioned downstairs which was logical seeing as someone was ringing the bell but that was the extent of my comprehension all else faded into that of my usual companion; misery. Slowly settling down at the top of the stairs everything took on a brand new meaning as my hands dropped in between my knees; small hands that while clean were full of blood. And the sad part of it all, as if weren’t all one depressing love song anyway, was that I no longer knew whether or not my killing those men was justified. Kheelan said they would have killed me. Robert said so as well—but did I have to kill them? Couldn't I have just injured them to incapacitation? But I hadn’t. Instead I had killed men, many men. 

Over time, I’d compiled a long list of reasons, vindicating my actions but hearing that name, Xanthus, negated the list to a pile of ash.  It spoke of countless evil, an evil that ran through my veins. How could I possibly validate my actions when it was in my nature? Maybe that very blood that flowed through my veins blinded me into thinking that there was no other choice but killing; made me see things that weren’t really true.  It wouldn’t be the first time…

I was the daughter of a monster that hated humans enough to wage an apocalyptic war against them. Beyond that, I was the offspring of a ruthless man; vile enough to try and kill the Seelie Queen by employing her very own daughter to achieve the task. While the term father was something foreign, truly unknown to me; the affections, the emotions-- I knew without a doubt that my being Xanthus’ daughter guaranteed me nothing, especially not from him. Well, I take that back, he wanted me; sought me for what I could do. He hunted me for what was inside of me. But after that I was good as dead. And there was nothing foreign about that.

The door opened downstairs. Managing one breath, I pushed back the shameful tears on the verge of falling and…waited. Waited, because it was Ivan; I could smell him from where I sat. Waited because within seconds, Ivan would push past my father, using glamour or whatever necessary he need employ to reach me.

 And just as the thought brushed past, I heard Ivan’s voice telling my father, “Go for a drive.” To which he then added, “A long one.” And the door closed.

Well, that pretty much settled that. And as much as I knew that my name was Charlotte O’Dean, I was certain that Ivan heard every word I had spoken with my father. Call it intuition, damnation, punishment--whatever you wish. But I forgot to block my thoughts so he without a doubt knew who my father was now. Wasn’t it him that said one of my parents had to be of high rank? He sure wasn’t kidding but not even he could have ever imagined the abomination that was his Common. But with him now fully aware of who daddy dearest was, one of my better memories shattered at my feet, leaving a single shard of recollection stabbing my palm…

‘If I see anything suspicious….’

....He would kill me.

Was this suspicious enough? What more could be needed to warrant immediate annihilation? I was the daughter of the Unseelie King! No further proof was needed. It was as if fate saved the best for last really.  So as I waited, I wondered which he would use….

Perhaps water, and make me suffocate on my pity—

He appeared at the bottom of the stairs…steel gray eyes boring into mine…..      

Or maybe earth, and bury me alive—

Eyes focused, he began his ascension….

Air? I was much smaller so whipping me around wouldn’t be awfully hard.

He stood before me….

How could I forget? It was fire. He would make me burn for my blasphemous blood. Hell, I would make me burn for it. So I sat there, waiting….because when he decided to attack, I would do nothing.

Nothing.

Timeless moments passed. The air could have frozen into stagnant particles by how chilly things turned. Drawing in a deep slow breath, he remained wordless. Why wasn’t he doing anything? Didn’t he know I needed the fire to rid me….of me.

Astonished at the events, or better yet lack of events, my voice permeated the glum silence, stating with all certainty, “You know.” A simple enough phrase that held enough to set off a world war. Swallowing, Ivan lowered down beside me…what? Maybe it was the remorse in knowing that he would have to do, what I would let him do. Perhaps it was realizing the truth; that for a second time he would have to kill a woman he was attached to, even though the reasons were not the same, seeing as he loved Maris. But regardless, the motivations would be identical as would the results; blood would be shed. At least for him, it would be justified because if he didn’t kill me then and there, there was no denying that he would, by all means, be a traitor to his people-- To our people as much as to the human race.

So, it became clear that I was just going to have to say it, “So then, what do you intend to do?” There it was. All my cards out on the table.

Silent for a strange moment where though sitting beside me, his mind was elsewhere, his jaw clenched tightly. Oddly, while he drew himself back from his mental warfare, I found myself not breathing in wait of his answer as if I didn’t know what it was.

His voice floated out in a shocking phrase—

“I don’t know.”

He didn’t—What the hell.  Obviously I held my breath for no good reason seeing as I obviously didn’t know what his answer was—Hell, neither did he. But what was there not to know? Apart from my being Hillenia’s version of the devil’s daughter, he also didn’t love me but was stuck bound to me. Should that not birth some type of resentment in the man? How many TV shows were based solely on the misery of a man stuck with a woman he didn’t love. Does Married with Children ring a bell? Though childless we were the classic ‘Al & Peg’. And in those shows, did they not always do montages with the man throwing the woman in the river? I suppose Ivan didn’t watch too much television….

My face flushed but before getting a word in, he let his hands fall in a similar fashion as mine; his thumbs linked,

“We need to talk.”

Talk? Hearing him clearly still didn’t help in his words making any sense, but then to my further befuddlement, he added, “I need to explain what happened.”

In the slowest form of anger, where a light tingling overtakes your toes, creeping slowly up each leg, intensifying by the second; sweeping up the torso, forcing your fingers to clench into tight fists as the volcano threatens to erupt; higher and higher, tightening your throat with sheer fury until reaching your face where fire claims your cheeks and hot tears your eyes….I paused. Complete and utter mental pause. At a time to scream and tear into him, I paused. Why?

Because Xanthus was my father. Both sides of the Fae world were without a doubt in search of me, to kill me for their respective reasons and he wanted to talk about adultery? Not to mention he wanted to explain it as if it were a mere claim; an accusation. It was adultery.  I saw it as if I were standing right there. So my response was the most logical in my deranged place of a world—I laughed. Hysterically.

Laughing so hard, my chest locked painfully as I struggled for air.

“Charlotte—“

“King Xanthus is my father,” I gasped for air, “And you want to talk about your bedding Elena?”

Breathless at the force with which I laughed, I managed to stand, “You are a piece of work Ivan,” my laughter began its bitter descent, “You think that now because I am the bastard daughter of the most hated man, I’ll need you?” I was plummeting quickly.

Standing sharply, he twisted angrily, “I am not talking about the damned memorium Charlotte!”

Figures; he didn’t even plan on apologizing….

“I’m talking about your teleporting—“ he gripped his black hair tightly, “And I don’t think you need me; I know you need me. Because of who your father is means that now more than ever you are going to have to trust my word. You will need to listen to me as much as you will need  to trust me because though you will meet those Seelie in nature who wish to help, they are essentially Fae and your father just made that become the lesser of two severe evils.”

Good God. Were things not crazy enough to now deal with riddles? Did he assume this was his way of getting out of explaining Elena—by confusing me? I hit rock bottom. I mean this was a bed of sharp rocks upon a concrete floor bottom. How was it even possible to go lower? He took a step forward—

 “You smug bastard, don’t you dare come near me.” I backed away, all my hairs rising slowly as the air between us seemed to electrify. And not in a good way….

Fueling the fire, I kept on, “I don’t need you. I don’t want to need you anymore. It makes me sick that that I do.“ my voice strained as if the words were being pulled from my stomach, “It makes me sick that when you hurt me, it actually hurts. Physical pain where I feel tangibly sick—don’t touch me!” he reached for me but I shifted back, seething fury in my eyes; a cold seething anger claiming my voice,

 “Maybe I am like my father, like my real father—and that’s why I’m with you.” Instead of backing away, I found my steps moving toward him in measured stiffness, “ Because maybe in that deep disgusting side of me, I like the pain and that’s all you bring me…pain.” I chuckled bitterly, “Yet I still can’t bring myself to hate you. If nothing else makes me Unseelie, then this  disgusting  masochism between us-- that is my proof.”

He didn’t say a word. There was just that cold steel glare I’d grown so accustomed to. Not bothering tapping into his feelings, not really caring to either, I spun on my heels—

“Being Seelie or Unseelie is a choice! It doesn’t matter that your father is a treacherous man or that your mother was a—“

“That my mother is a what? I spun wildly, “—a whore?” He needn’t say it, but it resonated clearly in the spaces between us that by the second lessened as my measured steps drew me to him. “Say it Ivan, go on. Say that I’m just like her,” I shoved him, “That being the only reason I tricked you into fusing with me—right? Isn’t that what you think?“ I shoved him again but tightly gripping my wrists, he pinned me back against the wall,

“Listen to me Charlotte.” He muttered wit forced restraint not to lash out at me, “We don’t have time for this—“

Wriggling to free myself from his hold, he only held me tighter, “Dammit Charlotte! You need to get your shit together or you will not make it within an inch of these burial grounds.”

What? We locked eyes for a moment, him realizing I hadn’t yet put two and two together…which I hadn’t. No longer wishing to free myself and honestly having no strength with which to do so after hearing what he just said; the words seeped slowly into my delayed brain still making no sense. What did he just say? It was important, clearly, but it all failed to register.  Why on earth would I be going outside of the burial grounds?

Releasing my wrists with a sense of immense sorrow dipped in dread, fried in misery and served on a plate of regret; he leaned his forehead on my head with an odd restraint. Almost longing. Something was wrong. And while I should have moved, his indiscretion clear in my mind, I couldn’t. Not because he was preventing me but because remember that masochistic side I spoke of? Yeah…

Resignedly, he sighed—defeated.

“Kheelan is readying the surrounding defenses for your transport.” He inched closer, “You leave for Hillenia, tonight…” he trailed off, his arms pulling me into an embrace which rocketed my suspicions to the upper stratospheres. Affection at a time like this only yelled of one thing—trouble. As my veins ran cold, I understood what he meant. Being Xanthus’ daughter meant I had to leave for Hillenia, where though I would be with the Seelie, they still wanted me dead. The lesser of two severe evils. But even worse was his confession in its entirety—

 I was leaving for Hillenia.

That very night I was leaving the only world I ever knew and going into a land where humans were nothing but mere slaves and magic was king. A land I knew absolutely nothing about—well I knew one thing. Just about everyone in it wanted me dead, from the Queen to the poorest of peasants. But the fact they were sending me off so quickly—that was a gamble. After talks of training me until I was prepared which clearly I wasn’t; Why take the chance? There was obviously something I didn’t know because if I was leaving for—wait.

My heartbeats increased in my ears as I replayed his words. Where before it would have taken me long minutes to realize what he said, it all hit me like a slap in the face. I was going to Hillenia. I…not we. Meeting his eyes with a stabbing awareness, he gathered my deduction and instead of denying it…his arms eased from my waist. Nasusea gripped me. He couldn’t be serious…

Ice washed through my veins as heaves afflicted me. Was this the punishment for liars? Because if so, it would make perfect sense; I had lied. When I was little and would lie about miniscule things like stealing candy from my grandmother’s ridiculous candy jar or getting caught skipping class, things would get taken away. So by saying I didn’t need him, was he in turn being taken away too?….Because I lied?

Cut off before I could utter a word, his hands released me; my body protesting traitorously.

He leaned against the facing wall, hands cupping his mouth, “I can’t go with you. They’ll sense me as soon as we arrive and they will kill me—”

“You?!” the floor vanished beneath me, “What about me?!  You’re sending me in there knowing there is undoubtedly a bounty on my head—“

“We have no other choice!” his voice rougher than I’d ever heard it—ever; leading me to believe with all certainty, there was something I didn’t know. “I am no use to you dead!” he rushed toward me, a hand sliding to the nape of my neck, pulling me closer, “You need all the chances given you to get to Alistrina—alive. My presence will only get you killed and I will not risk that.”

“But this is wrong. This—“ I paused because my whole train of thinking had been wrong, “I’m not supposed to be going to Hillenia. Once you learned Xanthus was my father…you were supposed to have killed me. You loved Maris yet you killed her…”

He paced back slowly, his gray eyes never retreating. Finally there, in the twisted silence, like the remnants of a fragrance sweeping by, I caught scent of Ivan and all I smelled was fear.  The pit in my stomach clenched, squeezing the deposits of my stomach into my throat. Nervously shifting, I moved forward, and then back, then forward again. The anxiety was getting stronger as was the urgency in the air and in reality; it was as if a part of me sensed something.  Perhaps it was just the worry in whatever Ivan was to tell me next.  And so I braced,

“Tell me.”

He was hiding something which was not a surprise but whatever this piece of information was had him scared. Not for himself, but for me.  The need to know sent my feet shifting in his direction until I stood right before him, my eyes boring into his. He was going to tell me; I hadn’t asked a question after all. A sweeping headache tore through my head instantly, my hairs standing on end—what the heck? A cold knee-weakening terror ebbed and flowed as countless unfamiliar smells overtook my senses.  It was worry…it had to be—right?

 Banishing the thoughts from my head, I squeezed my eyes, “Ivan—”

“After you somehow managed to teleport, Kheelan was summoned just outside the burial grounds where aid is assembling to transport you,”

My headache growing stronger to the point lights flickered in my eyes, I needed answers quickly, in short sentences. My skin was crawling uncomfortably and it wasn’t Maris. It was something, like a low electric current in the air. Motioning with my hand for him to continue as the pressure in my head was tightening my throat slowly; I heard the words that stopped my entire world—

“….Charlotte, where before Xanthus knew a great energy was in these parts but not knowing what it was kept him at bay. But someone alerted him—“

Christ…

“He knows you are here and has sent bounty hunters for you.“

As he spoke, my senses flared; the smell of sulfur and decay whipping all around us, getting stronger by the minute. Ivan didn’t sense it, it was subtle but there and it only got stronger by the second. Dread creeping down my spine, I gripped him tightly,

“Ivan?”

But he kept on, “Charlotte, Xanthus places his very powers in these monsters. They will stop at nothing to get to you. Dine magic cannot keep them out for long.  They are dangerously strong and they are coming—”

Darkness surrounded us instantly as the lights blew out leaving us in complete and utter darkness. Suddenly, two balls of blue flames lit up before me, Ivan’s eyes reflecting dangerously with a singular look of murder to which then I knew with all certainty,

 “They’re here.”

****

A/N:

Thoughts?

AHHH I’m back!!  Sorry for the long delay but thank you for waiting while I finished my other book. Lots and lots of love to you guys! :) I think only about a handful of people actually follow it but it doesn't matter, I'm really enjoying venturing into something different :)

Anyway! This chapter was a total transition chapter but I am BEYOND psyched for the next one! I mean come on, Bounty Hunters can only mean one thing? Lots of fighting and magic!

And Ivan is not off the hook about the Elena thing don’t worry! Explanation next chapter.

I’ll give you a taste of the intensity (and the insanity) by giving you the song that accompanies the next chapter. I love love it.  

With that said, I think this book will be Book One because Charlotte has pretty much ‘awakened’ and then so I’m thinking Book 2 will be more of her embracing her faerie side since it will take place in the Faerie realm :) I’m still playing around with the idea. 

As always, votes and comments are much appreciated!

<3Thanks for reading